I bike mostly in rural south-central Indiana. Very few other cyclists in my area. Anyway, it’s starting to get on my nerves how people in cars will pass other cars while I’m in the ‘on-coming’ lane. This happens usually at least once a week. Last week someone in a small SUV did this, and when they went by, I looked over my shoulder and spotted bikes on a hitch rack. I thought, “Shouldn’t they know better?”. Does this happen with regularity in other areas?
Yep, this happens to me too. I usually let them know that they are “number one”.
Happened to me a number of times this summer here in Norway - it really freaks me out - barriers on right side and nowhere to go…
People are idiots sometimes.
I know what you mean. I thought at first they really didn’t see me, but when they smile as they go by, it just proves their lack of judgement.
Look up “vehicular cycling” in wikipedia. Describes how to take the lane. Move over in your lane enough so cars can’t pass you without having to wait for no traffic in the oncoming lane. Keeps you from getting pinched. Do it on sections of road where required for your safety.
I don’t do it all the time, but it’s nice to know it’s an option.
Agreed, in lots of situations that may be a good idea. But in the scenario described by Pharaoh you would be crushed head on.
No, I guess I’ve been lucky but that hasn’t happened to me in years. I try to be a good ambassador for the sport, but it would sure be a challenge not to be an arm waving, swearing lunatic on that one.
I don’t usually gesture or yell. Since I normally ride on rural roads, there aren’t many homes or towns nearby. They could easily turn around and squash me like a bug.
Why are you riding in the oncoming lane?
I don’t go ballistic very often either, most people are pretty cool and I don’t like that nervous feeling you get when you hear a car coming up after an altercation. The older I get, the calmer I get. Slower too though:(
The overtaking cars are travelling in the opposite direction so by default he’s in the oncoming lane.
Due to the closing speeds this always scares me. Lately it has been little old ladies in buicks. Usually it’s the only two cars for miles in either direction as well.
Why are you riding in the oncoming lane?
He is talking about cars coming the opposite way. He is in the correct lane, but in the other lane, somebody decided to pass a slower car, presumably over a dotted yellow line, and didn’t treat him, the cyclist, as a car. If he were a car, there would be NO WAY you would make the pass- that would be asking for a head-on collision into the oncoming lane, but the passing car is simply ignoring the safety of the cyclist, bearing head-on down his lane, just to pass a slower moving vehicle. It scares the SH!T out of me everytime it happens. Luckily, that’s about once a month, but still, very scary.
Precisely.
Yes, it’s the ‘Murphys law’ of cycling or running. Wide open spaces, and all three will meet at the same place on the road.
Ah, Ok. Yeah, that’s a real POS move on the driver.
99% of the time, the driver didn’t see you because your profile is so narrow compared to the car that they are looking for. Wearing bright colors and bright helmet helps with this a lot.
I always bike wearing a some kind of bright yellow, white, orange, or combo thereof. Red is ok, but not as noticeable as the others. I avoid black at all costs, except for the shorts.
Happens here in New Zealand too. And the bottle throwing, and the idiots passing too close, and the idiots who claim not to see you despite being lit up like a Christmas tree and wearing eye dazzling fluro colours and …
Rest assured, you are not alone
“Happened to me a number of times this summer here in Norway”
Ditto here in Canada. Must be an international thing.
Happened to me recently, had a good spit worked up so I plopped it on the side of the car as it passed. Must be my passive aggressive side coming out…
Look up “vehicular cycling” in wikipedia. Describes how to take the lane. Move over in your lane enough so cars can’t pass you without having to wait for no traffic in the oncoming lane. Keeps you from getting pinched. Do it on sections of road where required for your safety.
I don’t do it all the time, but it’s nice to know it’s an option.
That is exactly what I do and try to teach others as well. I ride is SE Pennsylvania where the roads are usually very narrow, winding, lots of blind corners and no shoulders. I “use” to get cars passing me on blind corners all the time (idiots). Now in these situations, I ride to “control” the road and once I feel it’s safe for cars to pass me, I’ll more closer to the enge. If one of these cars passing me on a blind corner encounters a vehicle coming from the opposite direction - they going to take the hit head on or take me out? Damn, right I’m the one being taken out - so for my own safety first (and theirs as well), I control the road when I need to. Heck, I was out doing a organized MetricCentury ride last weekend…so the roadway was pretty full of cyclist - I’ll just say there were some crazy motorist ou there who were gestured #1 by many cyclist.
Happened to me a number of times this summer here in Norway - it really freaks me out - barriers on right side and nowhere to go…
People are idiots sometimes.
Sometimes??